Ahhh the joys of social media, you can vent, you can keep in contact, you can advertise, and you can well...destroy your career. Don't want that now do you? I'll be honest with you. I hate social media, it sucks my time away, but it is honestly the only thing that has worked for me as far as building my platform and my marketing. Now you're wondering where this comes into play when it becomes to being professional. Imagine you're a reader and you're talking to an author, just in passing, an elevator or something and the first thing he/she says to you is. "Oh my fucking god, someone gave me a one star review! How dare they not appreciate my genius!"
Now I hope realize that it's rude and probably should have been kept in the authors mind. I get being frustrated, especially with drive by ratings, and reviews that just make no sense to you. I get it, I do, but here's the deal. They are going to happen. Every author gets bad reviews. Don't believe me? Go look up your favorite authors. Honestly, as a reader, I don't trust a book that doesn't have at least one low rating. Why? Because I feel like one book cannot be everyone's cup of tea. As an author you need to realize that. My point? You wouldn't do this in person, don't do it on your Facebook, tumbler, blog, twitter, whatever you use.
Best policy? Don't respond to the review or rating. Do not let your street team respond, and for the love of the writing gods do not stalk the reviewer! I can hear you now: But it's my personal page! I want to be real with my readers!
My answer to the first one: Yep, but this is the age of the internet, nothing is truly private. That's what's scary about it. Personal or not, you need to control your emotions and feelings. You are a business now, the way you act reflects on your product.
Second one: Be real with your readers, yes, let your readers know you're human to, but do that by interacting with them. Not ranting about them. I'm going to touch on that in just a minute.
Okay, so no responding to reviews. Next thing....do not go on some crazy rant about haters that you have. Seriously. We all have them, we all have people who say things mean about us or our work. Move along, for many of the same reasons above. You are going to hurt your brand if you react badly. This goes back to not ranting about your readers.
Interact with your readers, invite them to answer questions on your pages, they don't have to be related to writing or your books, they can be, but don't have to be. If they ask you a question, answer them honestly. (within reason of course) Even if the question is "What is the order of your series." You need to appreciate your readers, because without them you would be nothing.
Basically don't do anything online that you wouldn't do in person.
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Monday, March 24, 2014
Review: Maverick: The Highway by Ashley Nemer
Synopsis: Nadia and Anabella head down to Houston, Texas, for what they thought would be a relaxing vacation. Nadia could work on her travel news articles for her boss in Cedar Rapids while Anabella caught a few rays of sunshine. Or that was the plan. Little did they know what trouble lurked inside the luxurious hotel nestled in the center of downtown Houston.
When Carlisle Ali introduces Anabella to
his friend and brother-in-arms, Carter Jackson, all hell breaks loose for the
Mavericks. Trouble never has a problem finding Nadia when she is out and about
looking for a story. Be it Cedar Rapids or Houston, it doesn’t matter. Nadia
finds a way to cause chaos and
disaster.
What happens when Mr. A and Mr. J go out
on a hunt for the man who is terrorizing people along I-45, the interstate
running through the heart of Houston? More importantly, what happens to Nadia
and Mr. A when they are forced to face the feelings that have been boiling
between them for over a year now?
Review: I'm still feeling cozy after this book. I love sweet, make you feel good, books with a bit of a thrill to them. The book opens up with a slap in the face (not literally, but still...) and I was sucked in. I had to now how Nadia ended up in that situation. I love the relationship that Nadia has with her sister Ana and it reminds me of the banter that I've had with my own sisters now mix that with Mr. A and Mr. J? Yep, I giggled through most the book. I'm in love with Carlisle and Carter, just am. I love the way Ms. Nemer created them, they are men who are't sorry for what they do—kill people. Yep. No really, let me change my way for you romance here. Her descriptions is great so that you get a senses of Houston and grounds the plot a little more.
Ms. Nemer manages to create a HEA without the need for a lot of the theatrics. I still have the warm and fuzzies and goofy grin that I had when I finished reading this book. There's a bit of mystery to it, a lot of sexy personality in the men. No sex, but it doesn't need it. That's not the focus of this character driven book. I can't wait for the next one! If you want a quick, quirky read, pick up this series, Ms. Nemer will not disappoint!
Below you will fine a contest for a contest for a copy of Maverick: The Highway. Good Luck!
I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
5 out of 5 stars*
*Originally was going to be 4.5 but when I woke up still thinking about this book, I decided it was worthy of being bumped up.
Buy it: :
About the Author: Ashley, also
known as Niki Becker, is married and lives in Houston with her husband Tony.
They have two dogs, Toto and Doogie. They have been together for over 9 years
and he brings her more joy than she could ever imagine as a child. She loves to
read and has been hooked on the romance & mystery genres ever since her
lifelong best friend gave her "Ashes to Ashes' by Tami Hoag to read when
they were younger.
Ashley finds
her strength through her family, especially her parents. They always support
her in life; they push her to strive for greatness. There once was a motto that
Ashley heard in her youth through her Taekwondo life 'Reach for the Stars' and
that is what Ashley has always done. It was through her upbringing that the
values Ashley has and displays come from. With her parents always cheering her
on in life she was able to grow up having faith in herself and her ability to
conquer the world.
Ashley
enjoys writing many different genre’s of fiction. Her areas range from science
fiction/ paranormal, mystery, romance, poetry and erotica (using pen name Niki
Becker.)
Follow her:
http://www.facebook.com/ashers83 (Add Friend)
Friday, March 14, 2014
Review: Special Assignment By Niki Becker
Special Assignment
By Niki Becker
Synopsis: Jake left Justice, Kansas shortly after the wreck. His life had been forever changed and he didn't know how he could stay in the one place that was a constant reminder of both women. Now on a quest to prove himself he taps into the one thing better left alone.
Charlie knew that eventually she’d have to run again. Resolution, California wouldn't be safe forever, someone would learn about her past. She just never imagined it would be the one person she’s spent a decade trying to forget.
Charlie and her brother Justin have made a new life in their beach side house on the banks of California. Justin stripping and Charlie hooking - neither wanted these jobs but they both paid the bills. Life was calm until trouble happened inside one seemingly friendly hotel.
Jake and Charlie, face to face with each other and their past.
Will they both overcome their shadows that haunt each of them?
Is there ever a way to forgive and forget when death is involved?
Special Assignment - The only thing special about this assignment are the two people involved.
Review: What can I say but wow? I'm a bit new to the world of Erotic Suspense, but I really feel like I hit the nail on the head with what I like to read in this genre and holy cow does Ms. Becker just steal me away with this book. I have to say that I think my favorite thing is that the characters aren't perfect. At all. A lot of times you find that either the guys is perfect (with a dash of a tortured past) or the woman has no real past and one of them ends up falling flat. That is not the case with Charlie and Jake! The two have a past together that they can't get rid of and it creates amazing chemistry between them. It gives a realistic aspect to the story.
The plot had me hooked right away. It's not often that you have someone killed within the first fifty words of a book. The twists and turns weren't predictable which I liked. I found myself reading a page here and there where I could and often forgetting that I was reading on my phone instead of my e-reader. I just got sucked in. The sex was amazing, there was a nice verity of it, which helped from keeping it repetitive. I highly recommend that if you like erotica and suspense, pick this book up!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
5 out of 5 Stars
Heat Rating: Scorching
(mild, medium, hot, spicy, scorching)
Buy It!
Add it on GoodReads
About the Author: Niki Becker is the pen name for Ashley Nemer.
Ashley is married and lives in Houston with her husband Tony. They have two dogs named Toto and Doogie. They have been together for almost 8 years and he brings her more joy than she could ever imagine as a child. She loves to read and has been hooked on the romance genre ever since her lifelong best friend Laura gave her "Ashes to Ashes' by Tami Hoag to read when they were younger.
Ashley finds her strength through her family, especially her parents. They always support her in life, they push her to strive for greatness. There once was a motto that Ashley heard in her youth through her Taekwondo life 'Reach for the Stars' and that is what Ashley has always done. It was through her upbringing that the values Ashley has and display's came from. With her Parents always cheering her on in life she was able to grow up having faith in herself and her ability to conquer the world.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Review: Devil's Playground By Laura Oliva
Devil's Playground, Book 1 in Devil's Playthings
By Laura Oliva
Synopsis: Professional burlesque dancer Francesca "Frankie" Strong has learned the hard way: on San Francisco's cutthroat party circuit, crime has a way of going unnoticed. When her best friend is brutally attacked, she's determined not to let the case fall through the cracks, even if that means crawling through every alley and back room in San Francisco to find the truth.
Undercover cop Johnny Marsden is in desperate need of a win. His career on the rocks, he's infiltrated the
Realizing they'll get farther together than on their own, Frankie and Johnny forge an uneasy partnership. Neither expects the heat that flares between them. Neither is ready for what it could mean. Together, they run down a trail that leads directly to Chinatown, and a faceless terror its residents refuse to name.
Frankie's only interest is in protecting her friend, and she's willing to make a deal with the devil to do it. But Johnny suspects the attack was part of something larger, something darker... and he's right
Review: I have to say that this book kind of hit my funny bone a bit. It felt a little like Janet Evanovich mixed with something a little more erotic...that I can't put my finger on. This isn't a bad thing at all. What we have here is an amateur sleuth in the way of Frankie Strong and a down on his luck detective. The storyline caught my interest in a way that I hadn't expected, but it really picked up about half way through. The only gripe I have is with one scene that I could barely suspend my disbelief with, though the reader in me thinks that there was a reason for the out of character (for the villain) move. I'm hoping that I will see it addressed in the next book as it is a series. Ms. Oliva does a wonderful job spinning her characters and their backgrounds and give us just enough to be hooked. I can't wait to find out more about Frankie's past an who this 'her' is that Johnny keeps referring to.
As for the sex in this it's hot, but, even though there is a lot of sexual tension there is no actual sex between the two main characters. It read more as a suspense, or mystery, vs a romance because of that. I understand not wanting to give characters a HEA in the first book, but I do feel like I was cheated with that. Do I think I'll read the next book in the series? The answer is simple, yes! Ms. Oliva takes us to the heart of San Fran and her writing is fantastic when it comes to giving those ground details that are a most for readers. You can see the club in your head, the city, The Pass, and many other places the characters take you on. If you like some amateur sleuthing, a bit of suspense, some hot sex this book is for you!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
4 out of 5 Stars
Heat Rating: Spicy
(mild, medium, hot, spicy, scorching)
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